home and housewares inspiration magazine issue 14We warmly congratulate the gia national winners, and take a ... you can’t be the kind of a person who lets your feathers be rufﬂed

innovation

gia - honoring

global retailing

excellence

design

winners of

the 2014 gia

design awards

trends

changing

themes in color/

design trends

inspiration

the art and

heart of

branding

Letter from the editors

2

Think about the successful people

you know. Charisma is often a key

characteristic they share. The most

celebrated politicians, singers,

actors and corporate executives

are recognized and remembered

for their ability to connect simply by

their presence.

With companies, the same is

created through branding –

branding that stems from what the

company is, what it stands for and

what it believes in. A company’s

brand identity needs to reflect its

goals and ideas and the spirit that

defines what the company is all

about—with the ultimate goal of

charming targeted customers the

same way charismatic people

charm their audiences.

Sounds simple, but achieving the

intended results is not easy. Getting

help is often needed, and

recommended, whether working

with branding professionals who

can advise and guide or

benchmarking with other

companies to understand what

their branding stands for and what

makes them successful.

In this issue of Home + Housewares

Inspiration, the voice behind several

celebrated international brands,

Adrienne Weiss, shares her advice

on branding, the key message

being “branding is all about telling

stories.” We also take a look at

companies that have been very

successful creating strong brands

that speak for themselves.

The home and housewares industry

has a long history of strong people

and brands, in both retail and

design. We look forward to sharing

their stories to offer inspiration in this

and in future issues. ■

Derek MillerVice President, Global Marketing

International Housewares Association

Piritta TörröInternational Marketing


Building Brands for Success

Table of Contents

3

innovationMartin M. Pegler column on retail innovations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

gia – Honoring Global Retail Excellence: Introducing the 2014 gia Global Honorees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

gia Expert tips – A Picture Worth a Few Hundred Words . . . . . . . .13

gia success story – Casa Palacio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

designTerri Winter column on design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Design Stars - Winners of the 2014 gia Design Awards . . . . . . .19

From the World of Design and Fashion – Jörgen Eriksson . . . . . .21

Inside Discover Design: Alessi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

trendsNew Harmonies: Changing Themes in Color/Design Trends . . . . . .25

Staying Relevant – Consumer Trends by Tom Mirabile . . . . . . . . .28

Staying on Trend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

inspirationInspiring the Industry – Adrienne Weiss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

The Art and Heart of Branding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Chicago – Inspiration by Restaurants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Contributing EditorMichelle Hespe is Editor in Chief atEdge content agency in Sydney,Australia. She has 16 years ofexperience in the publishing industryfocusing on travel, the arts, food andnews. Michelle is currently the editorof OUTthere, the in-flight magazine forRex, Airnorth and Skytrans, and theeditor in chief of Rocks, the travel andadventure magazine for miningprofessionals on Alliance Airlines. Shelives in Sydney and loves exploringregional Australia and the Outback.

Michelle Hespe

There is hardly a single

home or business

publication that one picks

up today that doesn’t have an

article or two about “greening and

sustainability.” Those two words are

ubiquitous: seen, heard and talked

about everywhere.

More consumers are looking for

“green” products and “green”

products sold in “green”

environments. For store designers,

the goal is to create and build

structures that will co-exist with

nature, use fewer new materials

while

making use

of existing or

recycled/

reused and

repurposed materials — products

that are kinder and gentler to the

world in which we live.

Going “green” means different

things in different countries.

Unfortunately, in some countries

greening and sustainability are

almost ignored. In other countries,

however, going “green” means

energy efficient, rainwater

harvesting, solar panels and a

greater use of daylight.

Forward-thinking designers now put

their emphasis on reuse and

repurpose when it comes to fixtures

and decoratives in store design. So

many items already exist and so

many pieces of furniture are

discarded—tossed out—

destroyed—that are still usable and

can still function effectively. Often all

they need is a new purpose, a new

use and a new finish. With the

numerous eco-friendly paints, stains

and finishes, the previously

mentioned old becomes new and

reusable and often adds a

Going GREEN in Retail

4 innovation • design • trends • inspiration

by Martin M. Pegler

Martin M. Pegler is anauthor, editor, educatorand lecturer, professorat Fashion Institute ofTechnology in NY forover 30 years. Martinhas worked with the gia

Global Innovation Awardsfrom the beginning of thegia program in 2000, asan Expert Juror.

“All it takes is the

desire to reuse

what is available.”

delightful accent to the

surroundings. An old armoire,

wardrobe, or chest of drawers given

a new coat of acrylic, water-based

paint and lined with colorful

wallpapers can become a focal

feature in a retail space or used as

a window displayer.

Mixing old with new is not a recent

concept. It has been around from

when the “old” was actually “new.”

However, today it has a new

definition — it means “greening.” It

means reusing, recycling and being

responsible. It means making new

uses of old, worn things and

keeping these items that might

otherwise be discarded and added

to landfills.

All it takes is the desire to reuse

what is available and the

imagination to make whatever it is

seem new and different. Existing

items in an existing operation can

be refurbished, refinished and

refashioned and then reused. A visit

to a second-hand shop, a salvage

depot or an estate sale can turn up

“treasures” for the creative, far-

seeing and “green” designer or

retailer. He or she will see

possibilities and a future life in items

unwanted by others.

And “GREEN” goes with any color

you may want to promote. Besides,

as consumers become more aware

of what it means to be “green” for

them and their future generations,

they will start demanding that

retailers carry “green” merchandise

showcased in “green” settings. ■

5innovation • design • trends • inspiration

Going GREEN in Retail continued

“More consumers

are looking for

green products and

green products sold in

green environments.”

gia – Honoring Global Retail Excellence

6

Every year, the International

Housewares Association

(IHA) welcomes retailers

deemed the best in their home

country to Chicago, where they

compete on a global stage in

the gia Global Innovation Awards

program. This year, there were

23 national gia winners from

22 countries, all representing

the very top of home and

housewares retailing.

The gia Global Innovation Awards

program was born 14 years ago to

honor excellence and innovation

in home and housewares retailing

on an international level. Every

year, national gia winners are

recognized and highly publicized

at the International Home +

Housewares Show, where they are

given the opportunity to mix with

the best in their field and to learn

from other retailers who have

embarked on a similar journey.

A jury consisting of retail experts

and housewares trade publication

editors from around the world

decide on the gia Global Honorees

after looking at all aspects of the

participating stores, including

visual merchandising, marketing,

branding, staff training and other

innovative offerings.

We warmly congratulate the gia

national winners, and take a

closer look at the companies that

rose to the very top and were

bestowed with the gia Global

Honoree distinction. ■

Visit www.housewares.org/gia for

more information on the gia Global

Innovation Award program and to

find short introductions and images

of all 23 gia winners of 2013-2014.

innovation • design • trends • inspiration

2013-2014 national gia winners:

Country Company

Argentina Cook Inc.

Australia TheSuperCool

Austria K & Ö HOME

Brazil Palato Casa

Canada Teatro Verde Cucina

Colombia Oben Muebles S.A.

Denmark LERCHE design

Dominican Republic Paragourmet

Eastern Europe Potten & Pannen - Staněk

France Merci

Germany Estella KochLust

India HomeStop

Italy Galleria Fiaba

Japan 212K

Netherlands Kookwinkel Bianca Bonte

Poland Villeroy&Boch

Russia Dom Farfora

Switzerland Pro Table St. Gallen

Turkey Boyner Evde

UK Lakeland

Uruguay Motociclo Uruguay

USA Rolling Pin Kitchen Emporium

USA – Internet/ MetroKitchen.comCatalogue Retailers

Watch a quick gia video

Introducing the 2014 gia Global Honorees

7

This year’s Global Innovation Awards (gia) had

such a wonderful group of winners that the

panel of editor judges and expert jurors found

it difficult to choose just five top retail stores from the 23

national honorees and chose six instead.

The six top stores declared gia Global Honorees in 2014

were: TheSuperCool from Australia, K & Ö HOME from

Austria, Merci from France, Galleria Fiaba from Italy,

Kookwinkel Bianca Bonte from the Netherlands and

Lakeland from the UK.

In addition, LERCHE design from Denmark won the

Martin M. Pegler Award for Excellence in Visual

Merchandising. ■


by Michelle Hespe

Not everyone does a pop-up store well,

especially if that's the nature of your

ongoing, established brand, rather than

just an experiment. For starters, you can’t

be the kind of a person who lets your

feathers be ruffled by change. In fact, you

need to thrive on it. The dynamic duo from

Australia’s funky city of Melbourne

wholeheartedly embrace change, and in

doing so have built up great arm muscles

and online prowess, moving their product

from suburb to suburb while relying on an

ever-increasing loyal online community of

supporters to follow them and buy their

cool collection of designer products.

The owners support emerging and

established designers from around the

globe, priding themselves on creating

interactive, constantly evolving in-store

displays and experiences. TheSuperCool is

only two years old, and the mobile

emporium mimics the vintage peddlers of

times gone by. ■

To learn more about TheSuperCool, visit

www.thesupercool.com or see the

SuperCool gia blog.

Australia


A 140-year strong retail history is

certainly something to be proud of

and to develop upon. The Kastner

family continues to do just that with

their incredibly popular department

store, Kastner & Öhler. It’s hard to

believe that the 40,000 m2 space that

attracts four million visitors a year,

started out as a little, 20 m2 salesroom

that accountant Carl Kastner

discovered during a stroll through

Graz in 1883.

Back then, it was selling a humble

selection of products, but today, this

exceptional gia honoree has grown to

become one of the most popular stores

in Graz, with the retail space spanning

across 10 buildings from six centuries. It

has a myriad of offerings in dedicated

sections of Cooking and Baking, Eating

and Drinking, Bathing

and Sleeping, and

Giving and Decorating.

Interestingly, the store also has an important

place in Austrian history, because it was the

first company within the Austrian/Hungarian

Empire to regulate working hours and

holidays. ■

To learn more about K & Ö HOME,

visit www.go-home.at or see the

Kastner & Öhler gia blog.

2014 gia Global Honorees continued

Austria


You wouldn’t survive as a retailer in the cool

Parisian neighborhood of NoMa (La Haut

Marais) unless your store was as on-trend as

everything else in the area. The French winner,

Merci, does a lot more than just survive however

– it absolutely thrives, standing out as the go-to

place for design, fashion and homewares, while

also attracting foodies with its funky onsite

restaurants and cafes. What better way to spend

the day, than by being inspired, fitting in some

shopping and then relaxing in a charming

courtyard for a meal and a beverage?

A central atrium in the store serves as a stage

for regular exclusive promotions, which also

brings in the crowds and inspires loyal

customers. Whether it’s an emerging fashion

designer or a new innovative industrial designer,

Merci sets the stage on which they can

showcase their work. But the owners always

keep in mind that the people attracted to its

wares are from all walks of life, so there is always

a wide degree of price-points and products,

from up-market to the very affordable. ■

To learn more about Merci, visit

www.merci-merci.com or see the

Merci gia blog.


France

Soaring open spaces and beautiful

streamlined architecture give Galleria Fiaba

in Sicily the feel that the owners wanted to

create – that of an up-market modern art

gallery. And what’s more, the pride of winning

a gia award remains in the family, as it is the

architect husband of one of the owners who

designed the store and his daughter is the

managing director.

Since this stylish store opened its doors in

1985, it has been causing a stir, and for good

reason. Nestled in the historic center of Vittoria,

the 750 m2 store is a beautifully lit showcase

for the world’s top brands – vivid colors

standing out against

clean white, bright, well-

lit walls with inbuilt

shelves for creative

display. Seven window

displays illuminate

individual handmade

pieces and collections

made from the finest

porcelain, crystal and

silverware, while gifts

and homewares are as meticulously curated

as fine works of art should be. And due to the

open plan design, products can be viewed

from many vantage points across the store.

The family-run retailer is always driven by

trends and even its exterior – a towering black

polished wall alight with over 100 LED lamps –

gets the message across to anyone passing

by: that a shopping trip to Galleria Fiaba is

bound to be a sophisticated artistic

adventure. ■

To learn more about Galleria Fiaba,

see the Galleria Fiaba gia blog.



Italy

The Netherlands As they say, great things

come in small packages,

and Bianca Bonte’s popular

store in the Netherlands is

testimony to that adage.

This gem of a store relies on

wonderful service,

ambience and high quality products,

but the fact that it is housed in an old

industrial building in the southwestern

region of the Netherlands also adds to its

charm and reputation. It only has a few staff,

but it delivers an unforgettable experience.

Recently renovated for an expansion and a

fresh look that harks back to days gone by,

Bianca Bonte has used the industrial

elements synonymous with the port area

where her store is based, while also taking

inspiration from cool fashion boutiques and

trendy restaurants.

Making use of shipping container doors,

corrugated iron sheets, exposed brick walls

and a large free-standing stove to give the

space an intriguing, welcoming feel, the

overall effect has created a kitchen and

homewares store that has curious people

travelling from far and wide to check it out.

Now, this once small package is a

destination store. ■

To learn more about Kookwinkel Bianca

Bonte, visit www.biancabonte.nl or see

the Kookwinkel Bianca Bonte gia blog.



Being a part of gia for Lakeland in

the UK was very special this year,

as not only did they become a

Global Honoree in Chicago, but

they are also celebrating a

milestone within their own

company – the store’s 50th

birthday. Since 1964, the retail

chain has continued to steadily

expand and

although it

now has 67

stores across

the United

Kingdom and

nine in the

Middle East, it

has always

firmly held on

to family

values, being a

family-owned

business.

This large yet welcoming retailer knows

what it is doing when it comes to

promoting its array of innovative

kitchenware: it publishes 18 catalogues a

year and is a multinational business with

an award-winning website that attracts

over 600,000 visits a week,

brimming with ever-changing

content and videos that offer

helpful tips, recipes and

lessons in cooking.

Lakeland has established itself

as a hub of culinary inspiration

and the home of creative

kitchenware – its mission is to

change the way people think

about cooking, making the

difficult possible and helping the home cook

achieve professional results every time. ■

To learn more about Lakeland,

visit www.lakeland.co.uk or see the

Lakeland gia blog.



United Kingdom

Shadowbox DisplayersSeeing is believing and seeing what a great display a

shadowbox can be is almost un-believable. Grange

Interiors in the Aberdeen section of Hong Kong uses

simple, four-sided boxes designed by Stefano Tordiglione

Design Studio. These boxes are backless and the wall

can be seen through them.

The backless boxes are of assorted sizes and shapes.

Although they do start at the floor and build up to be

seen at eye level, they can just as easily be arranged

atop a table or counter, or nailed together and hung as

a wall displayer.

This shadowbox arrangement in a store that features

mainly home furnishings allows the display of small

accessories that could ordinarily—because of their

size—be lost in the scheme of things. The simple

clusters of same or

go-together pieces

get “featured

attraction” billing in

the store.

For example, the

red and white

patterned pieces

are complemented

by the panel of red

and white wallpaper

(also available for

sale in the store)

that sets off the

white chair in the

foreground. The soft, neutral gray walls match the gray

tones of the concrete and recycled wood floors, and

the crisp white outlines of the shadowboxes

accentuate and highlight the wood tones.

The same sort of arrangement would make an ideal

window display, and if used as individual units, the

boxes can be rearranged in assorted ways—depending

upon the merchandise to be displayed. Since the units

are backless, they would be especially effective in open

back windows where the display could also be

appreciated inside the store as well as on the street.

Not a very difficult or expensive unit to make and with

proper planning of sizes and shapes, they could nest

when not in use. ■

A Picture Worth aFew Hundred Words


by Martin M. Pegler

Photos courtesy of Stefano Tordiglione Design Studio, Hong Kong

The backless boxes, which

allow the wall to be seen

through their centers, are of

assorted sizes and shapes.

A Palatial Approach

Casa Palacio Santa Fe has a seriously

impressive lineage, to complement its

seriously great sense of style. The store’s

parent company, department store El Palacio de

Hierro, opened its doors in 1888 and has now

grown to 13 stores. Casa Palacio is the

high-end spin-off store, stocking

everything from furniture to

designer goods, linen,

tableware and fashion.

They also offer all

services related to

interior design,

bringing seamlessly

together the store’s

many products and

offerings. The one

thread that runs

through every single

item on offer at Casa

Palacio is a sense of palatial

living – everything is for a life

lived beautifully.

Opening in 2006, Casa Palacio

Antara was the benchmark for the

Casa Palacio brand, being the first

interior design concept store within the

company. Offering more than just products, the

store was set up to inspire, innovate and offer all sorts of

services linked to interior design. It won the gia Global

Innovation Award at the International Home +

Housewares Show in 2008.

In May 2013, the Mexican powerhouse of style took

another leap up the ladder and opened a store in

Sante Fe that has to be seen to be believed. Spread

over almost 8,000 square meters and costing more than

$10 million to build, Casa Palacio Santa Fe has a myriad

of areas dedicated to products, furniture, linen and

fashion, but also has a concierge, design studio, VIP

room, spa and bath, and a host of other design-driven

by Michelle Hespe


Michelle Hespe chatswith Teodoro Rodríguez,Purchasing Director ofCasa Palacio, Mexico,and discovers a trulyinnovative, edgy conceptstore at the forefront ofretail design.

niches. It is a world of its own, stocking most of the brands

that were already present in the Antara store and

introducing new exclusive names such as Versace Home,

RLH, Kenzo Maison, Moooi, R. Cavalli Home, Robbe

Berking, Atlantis and even gourmet labels like Mariage

Freres, Hediard and Fortnum & Mason. The store has a

staff of more than 160, including 22 interior designers,

and also features 5,700 lights and 420 pieces of furniture.

Along with a perfectly executed quirky and innovative

approach to store fixtures, highly imaginative ideas

make Casa Palacio Santa Fe stand out as a destination

store that is like an interactive gallery. For example, the

entrance to the cooking section is styled as a

marketplace, stocking luxury kitchenware, tableware

and gourmet

foods. A

fireplace is at

its heart, and a

massive

curved

wooden

structure

arches

gracefully over

the entire area like the roots of a gigantic tree,

stretching up to the second floor. It’s a statement about

both great design and sustainability. Other elements,

such as model-sized wind turbines, are dotted

throughout the store to remind visitors about preserving

energy and adopting a more sustainable life.

Another awe-

inspiring

display is an

actual street,

complete with

a fountain,

and elaborate

facades of

different styles of

Mexican houses

along with antique

and flower shops. It’s

another reminder that there

is something for every taste and

lifestyle in Casa Palacio, and it’s also

another part of a visual journey through the

store’s world.

Rodríguez is one of the main drivers behind the model

of the store, and he always has a sharp eye on every

aspect. He has a simple philosophy, “Always look for the

unexpected. Make it your own and have fun doing it,”

he says. “Enjoy the ride. There are always things to learn

and room for improvement. Finding and doing things

differently allows for the possibility of making them

better. The one thing that remains the same is change.”

This business and life approach is evident everywhere

you go in Casa Palacio. There is a sense of magic in the

store because everything is interesting and different.

“Don’t be afraid of being different, but always be

interesting,” says Rodríguez.

A Palatial Approach continued


Offering more than just

products, the store was set

up to inspire, innovate and

offer all sorts of services

linked to interior design.

continued on next page

Casa Palacio strives to stay ahead of the pack, and staff

continually brainstorm about new additions or how

things can be improved. Inspiration is in the air and

there is always a new benchmark to be set. As

Rodríguez says, “When the followers catch up with you,

you should be ready and prepared to move on,

to be in a new place.”

Window displays are taken very

seriously as the company

understands that the displays

are the only opportunity to

show customers something

else is to be expected. “Do

whatever you have to do to

keep it fresh and alive,”

advises Rodríguez, “but the

story you are telling has to

be clear. Visuals are only

needed or to be used to

round up an idea, not to

explain it.”

Early in 2014, the Antara store

will be refurbished to bring it up

to the Santa Fe standard and a

third store in the south of Mexico City

is also on the horizon. “We are also

looking for other locations outside Mexico

City,” explains Rodríguez. “We will continually make

room to add new ideas and product categories.”

Keeping ahead

of the

competition is

an ongoing

mission for any

true innovator,

and travel is

often crucial to

collect new

ideas. The Casa

Palacio team is

a big fan of

trade shows, such as the International Home +

Housewares Show in Chicago, and often travels

worldwide to gather fresh ideas.

“When travelling, and at the shows we visit, we find

inspiration,” Rodríguez says. “We get to see first-hand

where things are headed and what is new. When

attending the shows, we look first and try to read what

each show is telling us. We always have a plan and a

wish list that we need to fulfill, but we are also always

open to the unexpected.”

And the unexpected is precisely what will keep

customers coming back to Casa Palacio again and

again - there will always be a new surprise in the palace.

For more information on Casa Palacio, visit

www.casapalacio.com.mx. ■


A Palatial Approach continued

damages from

online retailers

knowingly selling

counterfeit

Gucci product.

As retailers and

customers,

buying less and

buying better is

a decision we

can all make

that contributes

to society. Saving

for something

adds a level of

excitement and achievement.

Personally, there are many pieces of

original design that I aspire to own

and am saving up for at the

moment. Some people have

forgotten how it feels to yearn for

something and plan to acquire it.

When I eventually can afford an

Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair, I will

cherish it forever and will one day

hand it down to our children.

As a store owner, it is a joy to see more people seeking out original

design. They want to know more about a product’s designer and

where the product was made. Customers now want the story of

the product’s origin and want products of higher value, not necessarily at

a higher price. This new trend includes scrutinizing a product’s originality,

material, manufacturing quality and, increasingly, its sustainability. Most

importantly, customers want to know the product is the original and are

prepared to pay more (but not too

much more!) for it.

This new questioning of product

integrity is a decided shift against

the growing number of “replicas”

or outright copies with poor

quality on the market. Consumers

are tired of experiencing the

disappointment that comes with

buying a product that has a

certain “look” only to

discover that you get

inferior quality at a

lower price.

Additionally, leading

brands are keen to

protect their design

investment against

copying that in other

industries might be

viewed as

counterfeiting. In a

recent

landmark case,

Gucci was

awarded nearly

$150 million

dollars in

The Thrill of Owning an Original


by Terri Winter

Terri Winter is the co-owner and founder of retail store top3 by design.

PHOTOS - supplied by top3 by design

Design Letters is aDanish companyutilizing the ArneJacobsen font

Floating mug,designed by Tigere Chiriga


The Thrill of Owning an Original continued

18

I often hear the complaint that an

original is “too expensive.” Good quality

materials and craftsmanship create a

product that will last and be part of your

life. In the long run you will spend less

purchasing a better quality item rather

than replacing a cheaper product

multiple times over the years. Additionally,

these pieces are often worth more by the

time they are handed down than when

they were purchased.

And sometimes buying an original design

from a talented young designer or up and

coming label isn’t as expensive as one

might think. As the brand is just beginning,

price points are usually lower and you

can experience the thrill of owning an

original and actively support the next

generation of designers.

Encourage your customers to save for

original designs. It may take them a little

while longer to acquire an original item

but the quality and value will be worth

the wait. To help their customers, retailers

can create a lay-away program and

encourage customers to use this good

old-fashioned method for buying

something a little more extravagant. It is a

forgotten delight to want for something, to

earn something. You may be surprised to

find you enjoy the feeling. ■


Kitchen tablet stand byBosign. Well priced –original design does notneed to be expensive.

Offi (magazine rack) is anAmerican company weimport. Eric Pfieffer is oftencopied and there are replicaversions of his furniture.

As a store owner, it is a joy

to see more people seeking

out original design. —Terri Winter

Fink jug is aniconic Australianproduct, designedby Robert Foster.

Good quality materials

and craftsmanship create

a product that will last

and be part of your life.

Australian design by Dreamfarm.Garject completely presses multiplegarlic cloves at once, without the needto peel them first - and automaticallyscrapes off any excess garlic, cleaningitself as you open the handle.

To learn more about top3 by design, www.top3.com.au.

Design Stars - Winners of the 2014 gia Design Awards

19

Discover Design, the

premier design

destination at the

International Home + Housewares

Show, offers a collection of more

than 100 companies showcasing

the latest designs found in

housewares. Exhibitors are based

on recommendations from and

approval by the retail and

design community.

Since 2011, exhibitors in

Discover Design have been in

contention for gia Global

Innovation Awards for Best Product

Design, Best Collection Design and

the Martin M. Pegler Award for

Excellence in Visual Merchandising

for best booth design. These are

best-in-class examples, providing

physical proof of what the inspired

mind can do and create, given the

right skill, focus, motivation,

determination and desire. ■


Best Product Design – Global Honorees

The simple, beautiful Porthole vessel can

be used to create striking cocktails, oils,

teas, dressings, coffee or any other type of

cold infusion.

Crucial Detail

www.crucialdetail.com

The Twin-cut Compact 2-in-1

Scissors have a unique design

that allows for smooth cutting

action while a serrated outer

edge is ideal for opening boxes.

Joseph Joseph Inc.

www.josephjoseph.com

The Green - Mini Greenhouse is an inside

greenhouse for plants, herbs or spices

that accelerates the growing by creating

a greenhouse effect.

Sagaform Inc.

www.sagaform.com/usa

Best Collection Design – Global Honoree

Soak the Magisso Black

Terracotta Ceramics in

water for natural cooling.

Water evaporates from the

porous outer surface

cooling the content.

Magisso Ltd.

www.magisso.com

Design Stars - Winners of the 2014 gia Design Awards continued


Best Collection Design – Finalists

The concept behind the

Verso Collection design is to

serve treats hygienically,

which is why the spout is

perfect for pouring. Suitable

not just for liquids but also

for small snacks such as

nuts.

Carl Mertens

www.carl-mertens.com

The BIOBU Bamboo Kids

Collection is made from

bamboo fiber. It is as

resistant as plastic or

melamine, but safe for your

health and better for the

environment.

Ekobo Ecology & Design

www.ekobohome.com

Best Product Design – Finalists

The Onpot holder rests the lid on the edge of your pot so

condensation drips back in.

Dreamfarm

www.dreamfarm.com

Double-walled and with an

airtight lid, the MB Lib keeps

food warm while remaining

cool to the touch.

Monbento

www.monbento.com

MeltThat! is a butter knife that actually melts butter! Heat

from your palm is transferred onto the knife’s edge to

carve and spread cold butter and more.

Parallax Horizon Inc.

www.thatinventions.com

Drain and serve in one movement

with the Ole Jensen Colander. With a

simple tip of the hand, this design

works both as a colander and a

serving bowl.

Room Copenhagen

www.roomcph.com

Savino is an easy-to-use, elegant and effective

solution for preserving and serving wine.

Winestor LLC

www.savinowine.com

For more information about Discover Design and the 2014 gia Product Design winners,

visit www.housewares.org/discoverdesign

From the World of Design and Fashion – Jörgen Eriksson

21

Jörgen Eriksson has made his name in the retail

industry for blending the things he is most

passionate about in life – fashion and design – to

create strong, successful brands that resonate with

shoppers. Eriksson started out running his own business

in fashion before moving on to a managerial role in

duty-free stores at airports

across Sweden. These

roles gave him solid

footing in business, fashion

and retail, and he went on

to become the kitchen

and housewares

department CEO for NK,

the renowned department

store in Sweden. With Eriksson at the helm of NK Glas,

Porslin & Kök for seven years, the store raised the bar on

innovative retailing, and it not only became a Global

Honoree in the 2011-2012

gia Global Innovation

Awards but also won the

Martin M. Pegler Award for

Visual Merchandising.

At NK Glas, Porslin & Kök,

Eriksson managed to

make the store one of the

best, most fashionable homewares stores in Europe,

increasing the sales of the store by 33 percent, and

reducing the age of the average customer from 55 to

35. This was a crucial element of the store’s success,

because it is now aimed squarely at a generation who

spend more money on high-end fashion and stylish

homewares. The spend for each customer also

increased – by a staggering 265 percent.

Under the watchful eye of Eriksson, the layout of the

store reflected the approach of homewares uniting with

fashion. For instance, sales tags are no longer seen,

automatically taking away the bargain element of the

store, and where there were once many shelves and

stacked products, are now long, narrow podiums for

products. “Like catwalks, you could say,” says Eriksson.

Fashion was also incorporated into the way that the

store marketed its

choice of high-

end products.

“Working with

international photographers and

stylists clearly conveys everything

we do as a company,” said

Eriksson in their gia entry. “Vogue

can show fashion on the moon,

while we can display glass

sculptures underwater… Just as

you change your clothes or get

a new hairstyle, you should also

consider the manner in which

you mix colors and designs in

your home.”

After the big gia wins however, Eriksson made some

career moves. He began working as a retail/branding

consultant and launched a personal shopping

concept for NK Stockholm called Rosenrummet. The

idea behind the concept is simple: his company assists

people with every aspect of shopping. “It’s a ‘Never No’

Guarantee,” says Eriksson. “We never say no to a client.

Anything is possible – they just have to ask. It’s personal

shopping, for everything. We do it all, and the client

doesn’t have to worry about a thing.”


by Michelle Hespe

Michelle Hespe speakswith Jörgen Eriksson whohas made a successfulcareer in retail, blendingfashion and design.

“We never say no

to a client. Anything

is possible – they

just have to ask.”


From the World of Design and Fashion – Jörgen Eriksson continued

22

Juggling different brands and roles keeps Eriksson on his

toes and continually surrounded by different stimulus for

inspiration. “I love the opportunity I now have to work

with different concepts and brands,” he

says. “I use my creativity to develop things

that I see are needed, with the help of the

great people around me. That is really

important for me – to have great people

around you who can work and develop

concepts, and make ideas and dreams

come true.”

Eriksson feels that with so much technology in

consumers’ lives, it is more important than ever to have

nice spaces in which customers can relax while being

serviced by the company. “People need a breathing

space from so much technology today,” he says. “They

need beautiful places to relax in, so we have to take

care of every single detail.”

With NK Personal Shopping, Eriksson is also helping

people to embrace their own personal style in

housewares and refine their lifestyle. “We help our

customers choose the things that will make spaces

special,” he explains. “Our customers don't want

thousands and thousands of things around them from

which to choose. That’s overwhelming. With NK’s personal

shopping experience, they don't need to do the big

things because we do

them for them – they

can just relax and enjoy

great moments of self-

treatment. The service

and ideas always need

to be really personal. It’s

not the big trends that

matter. We make them

smaller and combine

them, bring them

together and put them

in our customers’ reach.”

With his busy life and

blossoming businesses,

the one thing Eriksson

never lacks is sources of inspiration. “I find inspiration

wherever I am,” he says. “I could be looking at a big thing

that IKEA has done – and it could give me an idea for

high-end, top fashion. Inspiration

comes from everything combined

around you, and a lot of travel

helps too –

meeting a lot of

people and

talking to them in

different ways.”

Eriksson also believes that in today’s

world, with more of us spending more

and more time online, that retailers need

to be more aware than ever

of how important it is to have

a strong brand presence – in

store and online.

“We spend more and more

time in front of the computer,

and so making your

personal style and having a

sense of fashion is now even

more important,” he says.

“You need to create your

brand, and you need to create your personal way of

existing in the cyber world. Online, you don't have the

intensity of your senses – smell, taste, touch and all of

that, so it is really, really important to have your own way

of doing things and to stand out.”

Eriksson’s final piece of advice is a simple philosophy

reflected in all his work, especially in the case of personal

shopping, which is all about placing a personal focus on

products that his clients believe will enhance their lives.

“I believe that beauty lies in the eyes of the observer,”

he says. “That is one of the important things that you

always have to remember as a retailer. Fashion to me, is

having your own way of doing things. Build on the

things you see around you. Be inspired. And dare to put

them together in your own way, and then you find

fashion. True fashion.” ■


“People need a

breathing space

from so much

technology today.”

For more interviews with interesting designers and housewares innovators, visit the Inside Discover Design blog.

Inside Discover Design: Alessi

23

Alessi has defined

modernism for nearly a

century. Its products are

held in the design collections of

museums around the world and

the company maintains its own

museum of its design history. We’re

honored to be speaking with a

member of this illustrious design

family, Alberto Alessi, president of

Alessi Spa and head of Marketing

Strategy, Communication and

Design Management.

IHA: Where does Alessi find inspiration

when designing new products?

AA: Alessi collaborates with more than200 designers and architects interna-tionally. Everyone has a different personal vision of life and different cultural background from where theirinspiration comes.

We leave our designers free to expressthemselves when we entrust them witha project. There is a common aestheticline or style, which underlies our products, but we are proud of the various languages, sometimes very distant from each other, that characterize our catalogue. What allour products have in common is in factthe cultural project that underlies ouractivity. We look for the best talents anddon’t believe in dogmas.

IHA: How does Alessi see design’s

importance in our industry as it moves

forward?

AA: The purpose of design in our futureshould be to transform the destiny ofproducts as gadgets in a consumer so-ciety into a transitional opportunity, i.e.an opportunity for consumers to growand enhance their perception of theworld. Following in the footsteps of allthose who have worked for thousandsof years in the field of Applied Arts, weare aware that our work aims at muchmore than to satisfy a basic need. Whatwe do, and this remains our challengefor the future, is try to respond to a de-sire of happiness—the public’s dreams.

IHA: Where are your products

manufactured?

AA: Our tireless research and experi-mentation brought the company, start-ing from the 1980s, to explore differentmaterials and new technologies. Thischoice has given the designers wework with the freedom to express theircreativity.

At our home in Italy, we continue to di-rectly produce practically everythingthat is made from cold formingmetals—from coffee pots to cocktailshakers to trays to wine

buckets. Some manual steps remain inthe production process, for examplethe hand welding of the Bombè, (thecoffee and tea set designed by CarloAlessi in 1945, now a classic of modernItalian design.)

For the other materials, we take care of the complete cycle of design management: the engineering, controlthe making of tools, and then the production is subcontracted, havingeach a different solution.

IHA: How do you choose which idea to

take to the next step — to product

development?

AA: Officially we have “the Formula ofthe Success”: A mathematical modelthat allows us to understand with exactitude, which would be the life of a new product if we decide to put inproduction. But we also have a preferred model, which is intuition.

IHA: What advice can you offer to

designers working in the home

goods field?

AA: In every field, including the homegoods one, each designer should beable to give complete freedom to hiscreativity.

IHA: Is there an approach or look

that joins the functionality, form or

emotional appeal of your product line?

AA: This approach is at the base ofour practice: Produce objects, whichare not only designed to be functionalbut also respond to a desire for Artand Poetry. ■

To learn more about Alessi, seewww.alessi.com.

by Vicki Matranga

Vicki Matranga, DesignPrograms Coordinator atthe International Housewares Association,talks to Alberto Alessi,president of Alessi Spa.


gia recognizes retailing excellence, honoring both specialty andmultiple-location homegoods retailers for superior business innovationand creative merchandising.

Participating in this unique program helps you grow your company, opensnew horizons and fosters networking with the best homegoods retailers inmore than 20 countries on 5 continents.

Winners of the national gia competitions are invited to attend theInternational Home + Housewares Show in Chicago, 7-10 March 2015.At the Show, the winners will be celebrated at a festive awardsdinner where up to five retailers will be further distinguished asgia Global Honorees.

Nominations for the prestigious gia Awardfor 2014-2015 are now being accepted.

How previous winners have benefited from their gia distinction:

• Finding new ideas and inspiration by networking and learning fromother retail leaders, visual merchandising experts and other industryprofessionals

• Getting extensive publicity in their home country, resulting in alarger customer base and increased sales

To be considered for this award, or to nominate a housewares retailer,please contact one of the sponsoring housewares trade publicationslisted at www.housewares.org/gia or the global sponsor:

Win the Covetedgia Award!


6400 Shafer Court, Suite 650

Rosemont, IL 60018 USA

Tel: +1 847 292 4200

Email: [email protected]

www.housewares.org/gia

2013/2014 gia Global Honorees

TheSuperCool, AustraliaK & Ö HOME, AustriaMerci, FranceGalleria Fiaba, ItalyKookwinkel Bianca Bonte, the NetherlandsLakeland, United Kingdom


by Laurie Pressman, VP Pantone Color Institute

PANTONE®VIEW home + interiors 2015New Harmonies: Changing Themes in Color/Design Trends

While rigid color rules have been replaced by more creative options, color and style coordinationin home interiors is a consistent goal. Lifestyle patterns and tastes are constantly evolving and soare the resulting forecasts that are spawning new harmonies in both color and design.


Style SettingsThe taste-making palette called

Style-Settings is all about poise,

finesse and polish. The

elegance of the purple family

adds a dramatic interplay

against the classic

mahoganies, off-whites, grays

and taupes, along with subtly

shimmering Frosted Almond

and Champagne Beige.

AbstractionsAbstractions release the inner

artist in each of us. Colors like

grape and apricot, dahlia red,

stonewashed blue, hazel nut

brown and vineyard green

seem to come from equally

disparate places, but when

brought together create an

artistic whole.

BotanicumBotanicum is a palette lifted

directly from the complexities

of flora and foliage, forming

intriguing groupings filled with

succulent shadings of green

and grape, and café au lait,

most often counter-balanced

with dusty or smoky tones of

blue and orchid.

Introducing the 2015 Pantone color palettes at the International Home + Housewares

Show, Leatrice Eiseman, Pantone Color Institute’s Executive Director, demonstrated the

strongest trends in color and styling families – where they are coming from, why they

are happening and where they are headed in the future.



continued

ZensationsZensations truly engages and

heightens the senses by taking

the thoughtful, meditative

qualities of the blue and blue-

green family to another more

visceral level by adding to the

palette a compelling red, an

atmospheric green, as well as

a sparkling silver and gold.

Urban JungleAn Urban Jungle transforms

rustic chaos into something

“civilized” and sylvan, speaking

more of big city living than that

of a wild terrain. Warm animal

skin tones are set against the

modernity of deep blue-greens,

a vibrant greenish yellow, plus

black and white.

Tinted MedleyTinted Medley is truly a

harmonious composition of

closely related, deliciously

warm tones. Bellini, Apricot

Wash, Peach Amber and

Macadamia are compatible

blends while powdered roses

and yellows underscore and

support the perfect pitch of an

ethereal rosy-taupe.


Extracted with permission

from PANTONE®VIEW home + interiors

2015 trend forecast. ■


continued

Past TracesPast Traces honors history in the

home. The look might range

from gently worn to

contemporized adaptations,

still many of the colors with

names like Pastel Parchment,

Cameo Green, Faded Denim

and Dusty Cedar capture a

vintage feel.

SerendipityThe literal meaning of Serendipity is

“a pleasant surprise” or “a happy

accident.” In the parlance of styling,

it is the coming together of unlikely

designs and unexpected colors. An

outgoing orange engages cool

eggshell blue, bright chartreuse is

enhanced by a yellow gold, and hot

pink embraces a lofty scarlet, all

under the watchful gaze of a Tiger’s

Eye taupe.

SpontaneityIrrepressible fun is what this

palette called Spontaneity

delivers. Happy hues of Sunkist

Coral, Marigold and delicious

Cantaloupe are complemented

by the exuberance of Kelly Green

and/or “quieted down” with floral

accents of Hyacinth, Violet Quartz,

Winsome Orchid or Misty Jade.

To learn more about Pantone, visit www.pantone.com.

To learn about color trends for home, see Pantone’s new PANTONEVIEWonline trend service at www.pantoneview.com.

28

Survive and Thrive inOur Erratic Marketplace

Housewares manufacturers

need to adapt, inspire and

motivate in order to have

success with today’s ever changing

consumer, Tom Mirabile said at the

2014 International Home +

Housewares Show.

“Whether you’re a retailer,

manufacturer or wholesaler, a

single word encapsulates today’s

most crucial business imperative:

Adapt,” he said. “Today’s consumer

lives and shops in multi-

dimensional ways we couldn’t have

imagined a decade ago. More

importantly, they crave – no

demand – innovation.”

“Sometimes these advances are

tangible, delivering improved

performance and expanded

function, or savings of time or space.

Still, it’s clear that all owe their

inspiration and success to a single

vital source: a fundamental

understanding of the consumer. Not

just their age and income, shopping

habits or household composition,

but an educated perspective on the

lives they are living and the lives

they want to live.”

Mirabile discussed several

generations to illustrate how

housewares manufacturers need to

adapt: social Gen Y, the strapped

Gen X and active Baby Boomers.

The Gen Y generation is aged 19-

37, are early technology adopters,

true foodies and the most design

savvy generation ever. They

expect customization, and they

reuse and repurpose.

“That presents a challenge to us

because we are trying to sell them

something new,” Mirabile said. “They

want small spaces that live large,

and that’s important to keep in

mind as we design products for

them. They are also more casual, so

we have to adapt to the way that

they entertain. And, they are also

more frugal.

“Gen X includes people who are

practical and pragmatic, who

spend more money on pet

products than any other

generation. They see their home as

the hive and the haven where they

can relax. They are ages 39-47, their

salaries are depressed, and they

have more debt than any other

generation, so our role as adapters

needs to give them good reasons

to buy,” he explained.

Gen Xers seek family time and a

balance of the work/life mix, so

products for them have to cater to

family.

In addition, the generation is more

fiscally prudent, as they were the

chief victims of the most recent

recession, so they are working

harder. Meal time and good food is

very important.

“Baby Boomers are defining luxury,

but don’t just give them the most

expensive or most desired


Top Trends for the New NormalTom Mirabile is IHA’slifestyle trend forecasterand senior vice president,Global Trend and Design,Lifetime Brands, Inc.

29

product,” Mirabile advised, “give

them products that deliver

superior function and technology.”

Baby Boomers are ages 48-68, and

many have children or parents

living with them. Some are

downsizing, but not willing to

sacrifice luxury.

“We need to understand baby

boomers and adapt living spaces

for their new interests and

hobbies,” Mirabile said. “What is

impressive about this generation

is that the women are the

healthiest and wealthiest and

most active of any group of

women in history.

They are buying

experiences, not

objects. We need to

adapt to their

wellness desires,

and to their fiscal

concerns.”

Mirabile noted

that even

though the

most recent

recession

ended in 2009, many of its

effects have lingered –

unemployment is still high,

for example. That will take

even more adaptation, he

said, as there have been

reductions in earnings and

the workforce – a slow

growth era since 2009.

“We have to adapt by

differentiating,” he said.

“There are more

expectations, as consumers

expect more in a slow

growth era. You need to

deliver on a specific value

platform, whether it’s price or

material. On the positive side,

housing stats are good, and that will

grow economic confidence. We also

have to adapt to e-commerce

growth, as two-thirds of Americans

have smart phones, and they are

using them for the shopping


Top Trends for the New Normal continued

30

experience. People hate that

technology never shuts down and it

replaces face-to-face interaction at

retail, but we love that we are

connected 24/7.”

Mirabile also discussed the Inspire

trend, which he said is about

consumer strength, more retail

choices, blurred channels and

categories and the socialization of

food. “Those are your opportunities

to inspire the consumer,” he said.

“Give the consumer new ways to

live and design. In all housewares

categories, we are seeing a move

from function to more fashion. The

younger generation will embrace

that trend.”

Even more opportunities to inspire

consumers include a growing

ethnically diverse population and

an increasing emphasis on health.

“Health has become one of the

most important things to people,

more important than a nice place

to live or their money and financial

situation, their

community and

friends, and work

fulfillment. So

companies and

products that help

consumers

understand and

accomplish better

nutrition while

minimizing time

investment will have

the advantage,”

he said.

Another trend,

Motivation, is about

motivating

housewares sales

with a clear focus on

consumer

inspirations, health

and wellness and

changing strategies.

“For example, we are in an era of

fiscal conservatism, so consumers

must be motivated to buy,”

Mirabile said. “It is the intangibles

such as experience, knowledge

and skills that provide the new

motivation needed to spend. In

addition, meaningful

differentiation is not about price

and quality alone, it’s about the

price, the quality, the design and

the experience. It’s not about

having something for everyone, it’s

about products and services for a

targeted audience. You need to

motivate with value beyond price,

and that includes brand ethics,

durability, variety and design.”


Top Trends for the New Normal continued

Photos supplied by Tom Mirabile


Staying on Trend

The Retail Element is an

international consulting

company focusing on retail

growth strategies, branding and

design. During Kohno’s tenure with

this company and others of a similar

ilk, he has been responsible for

several million square feet of retail

projects worldwide with such clients

as Macy’s, Central Retail Group in

Thailand, Shoemart in the Philippines

and Tobu & Daimaru of Japan.

Kohno also has the rare advantage

of having been a tenant, landlord

and an investor in retail, so he’s the

perfect person to identify and

discuss current retail trends that

can make a difference to your

company’s bottom line.

THE RETAIL PYRAMIDKohno refers to a simple pyramid

concept that presents the evolution

of retail communication to retailers.

“Most retailers start at the bottom

with a single channel of connecting

with the customer, which is their

physical retail store,” explains Kohno.

“The next level

of customer

interaction is

catalogs,

direct mail

and websites.”

The ultimate

level, he

explains, is

omni-channel

marketing.

“It’s the ability

a retailer has

to use all of

these channels

effectively, at the

same time,” he

says. “Very few retailers have been

able to accomplish this, but soon it

will be a requirement demanded by

consumers worldwide.”

Kohno does not think traditional

advertising in retail will phase out,

but he does feel that messaging

and overall brand strategies will

continually change.

“Advertising has the ability to reach

customers on an emotional level as

there is always the emotional side

of the buying process that is

extremely important,” he says. “But

social media and peer

recommendations can help sway

the final decisions. In the end, the

consumer will always respond to

the emotional values of the brand.”

GET SOCIAL MEDIASAVVYYour business can benefit from a

savvy social media campaign. And

that no longer means just posting

things on Facebook or tweeting on

Twitter. It doesn’t have to cost a

fortune, as it can be just a clever

idea that people pass on to one

another. Some of the big brands

however, can afford to lay their

money down and pave the way for

other retailers when it comes to

inspirational and innovative

concepts. So keep in the loop with

what they are up to.

Kohno refers to Gatorade’s “War

Room” as an example of how

technology and social media is

rapidly changing the world of retail,

and how big brands are utilizing

the data that they can collect from

networking platforms. The

Gatorade Mission Control Center

inside its Chicago headquarters is

a room where they can monitor the

brand in real-time across social

media outlets.

“What I like about the Gatorade

War Room is Gatorade’s ongoing

commitment to get closer and

closer to the customer, and truly

understand them at a real-time

level,” Kohno says. “Twenty years

ago, a customer might fill out a

customer survey which would be

collected, processed and acted

upon within a 6–12 month time

frame. Today, customers know there

is real-time data and expect results

instantaneously. Also, in the past,

consumers knew that the brand

held all of the cards, but today

consumers have the loudest voice

in the history of marketing and

brands are scrambling to adjust.”

As brands like this progress into

monitoring consumers from afar, a

scary thought for many people is

that social media might lead to less

and less contact between a

customer and another human

being on the shop floor, until there is

by Michelle Hespe

Scott Kohno, CEO of The Retail Element, hasmade a living out of analyzing the latest retail trends, decidingwhich ones can orshould be applied tobusiness and how.



no contact at all. But Kohno doesn’t

think this will happen.

“At one point, computers were

projected to replace factory

workers, accountants, engineers,

etc., but in reality we are a social

society and human contact and

ingenuity will always survive,” he

says. “There is definitely a growing

importance on human contact,

however, customers are just picky

on where and when they want it.

After several decades, customers

no longer need someone to fill their

tank of gas, but they definitely need

extra help to get advice on the

best options to service their car.

Today, personal shoppers are still

alive and well, despite the success

of on-line shopping.”

BRANDING & INFOGRAPHICS“As retail consultants and designers,

we used to be very careful not to

over-design stores in moderate-

income areas,” says Kohno. However,

he explains, with the introduction of

major international brands like

Starbucks in every economic sector,

customers are quite accustomed to

and expect environments that

project a nice lifestyle concept.

“Such concepts do not necessarily

equate with things more expensive,

and in the end they will always

attract more people,” he says.

What Kohno is suggesting, is to be

clever with your placement of

infographics and sometimes go out

on a limb with a design/décor idea

that might attract customers into

your store and to the counter. But

plan your venture well.

“Informational graphics, if not used

in a proper scale, can definitely

backfire for retailers though,” warns

Kohno. “I have seen retailers that try

to shout information to their

customers at every turn, and this is

truly offensive. In-store graphics

need to be carefully thought out

and planned. There are times during

the shopping experience that a

retailer needs to shout their image,

and there are times when a whisper

is all a customer needs to pick that

nail polish up and try it out.”

INTERACTIONOnce upon a time, it was all about

packing as many products as you

could on to a shop floor to sell, but

today, interaction is becoming

increasingly important. Shopping is

now a social experience, and it

can even be aligned to an

experience such as theatre, as

more and more retailers offer

cooking demonstrations, and the

chance to meet celebrities or

experts showing off products.

“Interaction, in the form of classes

and theatre, etc. has always been

an important element in retail, from

the earliest street vendors barking

out hilarious jokes to the elaborate

Bloomingdale model rooms and

international exhibitions,” says

Kohno. “But somewhere along the

way, as retailers started to over-

analyze the margins per square

foot, the retail floor became more

and more dense with only products.

Today, shopping is definitely a

social experience, and the good

news is that the more forward-

thinking retailers have

re-acknowledged this fact and are

devoting more floor space to such

customer interaction opportunities.”

As more and more customers get

out there and enjoy the host of new

retail trends emerging, make sure

your store is taking on the ones that

suit your brand and will ultimately

help you to develop as a company,

retain your loyal customers, and

attract new ones. After all, that’s still

the name of the game.

To learn more about

The Retail Element, visit

www.retailelement.com. ■

“In the end, the

consumer will

always respond to

the emotional values

of the brand.”

Staying on Trend continued

Read the complete article, includinginformation on lighting and in-storetechnology trends, atwww.housewares.org/gia/education.aspx


Adrienne Weiss is an

inspiration to everyone

she meets and especially

those with whom she works. Her

portfolio reads like a who’s who of

the world’s top companies, and

she’s worked with a huge diversity

of industries such as food and

beverage, retail, consumer

products, convenience stores,

real estate developments, sports

stadiums and entertainment

concepts.

Her goal in business, and in life,

revolves around inspiration. “I am

inspired to be part of something that

will change things for the better –

something much bigger than

myself,” she says.

Some of the prolific brands with

which she has worked certainly

continue to make changes, affecting

and influencing society as we know

it. They include Coca-Cola,

McDonald’s, Corner Bakery, Baskin-

Robbins, Dunkin’ Donuts and Wild

Bean Café for BP, just to name a few.

And she’s also scooped up numerous

retail concept awards, working with

impressive brands such as Build-a-

Bear Workshops, Target, Walmart and

Disney. As a vice president at

Applause, she was also a key player

in helping the Smurfs brand to bring

in over $1 billion in revenue.

Weiss’ passion and drive for

achieving the best results shines

through in everything she does, so it is

no wonder that she also inspires

others as an international speaker on

branding. She’s talked about her

trade and the future of the industry to

audiences at numerous trade shows

and conventions throughout the U.S.

Throughout all of her work, Weiss

believes there is a core method that

she revisits when dealing with new

clients, and she often shares this in

her talks.

“Each company with which I work

brings with it a unique story, so I’m

never dealing with the same cards

when I start a new project,” she

says. “I do stick to some kind of a

formula though.”

Weiss has been in the game for

decades now, and although there are

tried and tested

formulas to make

things work when

it comes to

branding, it’s also

about having

faith in your

hunches.

“You need to trust

yourself and your

instincts,” she

says. “It’s all very

personal, the way

you live your life,

and things often

come from a

deep and

personal space

– it’s not all in

the head. I’ve

learned that

instinct is

really important and sometimes you

have to go with your hunches and

trust them.”

She goes on to explain how

retailers can continually inspire

their customers.

“Two things come to mind when I

think about inspiring customers,” she

says. "SURPRISE and DELIGHT. That is

why when we do our branding, we

hide the story in unconventional

places: the bottom of the box, the

back of a display, on an end cap.

We want the guest to have

something to discover. I tell retailers

not to be afraid to try the new idea –

become the retailer that is known

for innovation!”

Inspiring the Industry – Adrienne Weissby Michelle Hespe

Michelle Hespe speaksto brand strategist Adrienne Weiss, founderand principle of theAdrienne Weiss Corp.about inspiration.

“I am inspired to

be part of something

that will change

things for the better.”


Inspiring the Industry – Adrienne Weiss continued

It would be easy for someone like

Weiss to use a similar approach

across many brands, but that would

remove the challenge and inspiration

for her, and the joy of her work is the

discovery of something new.

“You have to separate your own

ideas and ways of doing things, to let

the brand and the people behind a

company shine,” she says. “I enjoy

climbing new mountains that offer

new challenges. I love coming into a

new industry and thinking, how do

we take the principles and apply

them in another industry? I enjoy

that journey of how things can

be applied in a new way –

that’s exciting and inspiring.”

Confronted with those new

challenges, Weiss explains how

it’s essential for her (or anyone

working on their brand) to always

find that pivotal, unique story first.

“Companies are like people, no two

are alike, even in the same industry,

and the joy is in helping a company

find it's unique voice,” she explains.

“I’ve worked with five convenience

chain stores now and I sure can’t

just go in there thinking that it’s

another convenience store!” she

says. “I have to think ‘where is the

uniqueness in this brand,’ and how

can I leverage that?”

Asked about a recent inspiring

experience with a retailer, Weiss

replies, “I would say it is not so

much an individual store but

rather an industry. The grocery

industry has created some of

the most innovative retail

spaces and experiences. The

excitement comes from a

variety of things. One of them is

what I would call the ‘fusion’

factor, which is the opening of

borders between categories.

This makes shopping more visceral

and emotional.”

“There is also much more creativity

in merchandising,”

she adds. “I think

the industry has

also been

making the shift

to a consumer

centric

orientation

rather

than an

operation-

driven

strategy.

They are

saying that we want to be part

of your life rather than the consumer

being forced to shop in a way that is

easier for the retailer.”

On a more personal level, Weiss

ensures she’s inspired by playing the

piano, regular travel, and in

particular, visiting one of her favorite

places – Paris.

“I am inspired by culture, pop culture

and culture in general,” she says. “I

feel that everything I do informs the

work I do – I’m a movie buff, I watch

a lot of TV, I find so many things

around me inspiring – particularly

France! Everything there has the

potential to inspire new things. I love

the collision of the new and the old

in Paris. I love the idea of not

throwing out the old and finding a

way for it to settle into the new. It’s like

alchemy – like two metals coming

together to create something new.”

And if Weiss had her own definition

of inspiration, what would it be? She

smiles, as if that’s obvious, and says,

“The new thought that makes you

feel goose-bumps.” ■

To learn more about Adrienne Weiss

Corporation and see examples of

their various branding projects, visit

www.aweisscorp.com.

Photos and graphics supplied by Adrienne Weiss Corporation


The Art and Heart of Branding

Adrienne Weiss and her

team are legendary in

branding in the U.S. and

around the world. If you have eaten

a burger or a donut, bought jeans

or pumped your own gas, you have

probably been up close and

personal with brands they have

helped create or energize. Weiss’s

branding prowess started when she

worked for Applause and helped

build the “Smurfs” into a monster

global brand in dozens of industries.

As her website for the Adrienne

Weiss Corporation says, “Our brand

think tank develops holistic visual

and verbal filters for world class

brands across virtually every

industry. These words and pictures

are the key drivers in our vision and

design of retail stores, restaurants,

public spaces, products,

packaging, uniforms and print. Your

voice separates you from your

competitors – raise the volume to

cut through the white noise of the

marketplaces and reach the ears,

eyes and hearts of consumers.”

It’s a powerful statement

and mission, and in the

world of retail, nothing is

more important than

branding. The rest of your

business revolves around

your brand. Get your

brand right, get it noticed

and the rest will follow.

People can love

branding without even

noticing it, and a good

brand can create

emotions and

attachments. The loyalty

to which this can lead might just

direct you to your own success story.

Adrienne Weiss Corporation builds

brands using three basic ideas:

“First, branding is storytelling,” says

Weiss. “Second, a great brand works

at being a club to which people

want to be a member. Thirdly, a

brand is like a country with its own

unique language, customs and

rituals. Using these three principles,

we create ‘genetics’ for a brand

from which all creative decisions are

derived. This storytelling is expressed

in words and pictures that help

create an emotional connection

with the guest or customer.”

“Being in the branding business,

you quickly learn that branding is

all about telling stories,” she adds.

“To create a great brand, you have

to articulate the story behind it.

Getting that story across to people

is more important

than how you say

it. We create those

emotional stories

and that story is

used across all

types of media.

But it’s not about

the type of media,

it’s all about the

message.”

With the rapid rise

of social media

and the

increasing

amount of technology in people's

lives, branding is more important

than ever. “When the giant shift to

technology happened, everything

became even more personal,” says

Weiss. “It's now all about bigger

messages chunked down into

smaller pieces. God is in the details,

so you must speak to the customer

in smaller more intimate ways.”

“Today in business, we now get

feedback faster and more directly,”

she explains, “and that’s only good

news for any business, as now you

don’t need to do a hundred focus

groups and surveys to get the

information you need on what is

happening out there. It all comes to

you, through social media.”

An impressive example of creating

a profound emotional connection

by Michelle Hespe

Michelle Hespe catchesup with Adrienne Weiss– a U.S. brand strategist,to talk about storytellingand her approachto branding.

“Being in the branding

business, you quickly

learn that branding is

all about telling stories.”


The Art and Heart of Branding continued

with customers is Build-A-Bear

Workshop (BABW). “This year, they

will have sold over 100 million teddy

bears, and now there are 300

outlets,” Weiss says with pride. But it’s

not just about teddy bears – BABW

is about an emotional experience

created by storytelling in a retail

space. It’s about branding.

“Their brand story is 'Where best

friends are made',” explains Weiss.

“Friendship is a timeless and

universal idea, something that can

connect people. A brand must find

its bigger voice. We put every

aspect of the experience through

the creative filter including the

name, uniforms, fixtures, facade and

packaging. Everything matters!"

The Build-A-Bear Workshops have

integrated technology in the

same emotional way that helped

create their success. There is a

Love Me station in the stores,

where a guest uses a touch

screen to choose and insert the

emotional qualities they want in

their bear’s heart. For example:

generous, silly, smart, geeky. These

qualities show up on the birth

certificate that is issued for your

new friend. “It’s all about emotion,

emotion, emotion,” says Weiss.

Another great example of Weiss’s

approach coming to life in a recent

project is LYFE (Love Your Food

Everyday) kitchen.

“We created the name and

branding for this new restaurant

chain that is a great example of a

brand telling an emotional story

that connects with the culture,”

says Weiss. LYFE kitchen is the

brainchild of Mike Roberts,

former president of

McDonald's. It is a fast,

casual restaurant where

chefs have created great

tasting meals that have no

more than 600 calories. The

meals are also low in

sodium, and there are

gluten-free, vegan and

vegetarian menus.

“This brand is more than just good

food,” says Weiss. “They are on a

mission to help Americans make

the shift to wellness through food.

This brand is so in sync with

current culture.”

Weiss believes in instinct. Her’s and

the clients’. “We first ask ourselves

how we feel about the story,” she

says. “If it can't move us, it probably

won't move the consumer. Then we

ask our clients to do a gut check

about the story. Brands are human

stories about needs and wants and

dreams, nothing more, nothing less.

That's what creates connections.”

So the next time you indulge in a

Baskin-Robbins ice cream or eat

lunch at a Corner Bakery Cafe and

read the suggestion “you knead it,”

remember that somewhere in

Chicago there is a think tank

working hard to make life a little

more emotional, connecting you

with something larger. ■

"We first ask ourselves

how we feel about the

story. If it can't move us,

it probably won't move

the consumer.“

Photos and graphics supplied by Adrienne Weiss Corporation


Chicago – Inspiration by Restaurantsby Michelle Hespe

Appetite for Design is a

fantastic initiative created

by the Chicago

Architecture Foundation, marrying

great design and architecture with

innovative dishes and design-

conscious chefs. With well-known

local restaurants such as Girl & The

Goat and Sixteen on the well-

researched menu, there is plenty to

keep the design-hungry satiated.

Girl & the Goat, in Chicago’s West

Loop, is a great design experience

for those who appreciate a

sustainable approach to living.

Showcasing the culinary talents of

executive chef, partner and “Top

Chef” season four-winner, Stephanie

Izard, the 7,400 square-foot

restaurant supports local farmers

and has a sustainable menu

featuring rustic, new American

cuisine with Mediterranean and

Asian influences.

The locals and tourists flock here for

the food and the setting – the

interior of the restaurant has a rustic

elegance, with almost everything in

sight being reclaimed or

refurbished. From chunky butcher-

block tables to stunning Ipe

hardwood floors to a cobbled

European oak bar and vintage

fireboxes from turn-

of-the-century

Chicago homes, it’s

a cozy place with

innovation tucked

into every corner. The

open kitchen and

communal tables

lend a warm, family

home kind of feeling,

ensuring diners

linger and come

back often.

Sixteen is a different designer

kettle of fish altogether. As the

signature restaurant at the Trump

International Hotel and headed

up by Chef Frank Brunacci, Sixteen

truly embraces refined design.

Elevator doors slide back to reveal

wine rooms with floor-to-ceiling

Sixteen

Photo: Anthony Tahlier

Celebrity chefs, world-renowned restaurants,ethnic dining fromaround the globe.Chicago’s dining sceneis unparalleled and in-teresting even from adesign and architecturepoint of view.

Girl &

The Goat

Photo: Steve Hall/Hedrich Blessing

plate glass framing an iconic

Chicago view – the top of the

Tribune Tower.

It’s all about opulence – in the 30-

foot-high main dining room an

enormous Swarovski chandelier

reflects and refracts the

shimmering grandeur. There are

three dining rooms, each with an

outstanding view of Chicago – one

looking over Lake Michigan,

another overlooking the Chicago

River (which runs through the city)

and the third looking directly at the

landmark Jeweler’s Building across

the river.

But if you want to take it to the to

notch while in Chicago and get

really serious about food and design

joining forces in a series of clever

culinary inventions, one of the most

exciting restaurants in the world

calls Chicago home. Alinea is

considered by chefs and those

immersed in the food industry to be

on a completely different level.

Head chef Grant Achatz is at the

helm of this culinary American

pinnacle, leading Alinea into the

World’s top 50 restaurants year after

year.

Alinea has been called a “riot of

invention” and although Achatz did

a short four-day stint at El Bulli that

inspired him to continually create

one of the most innovative menus in

the world, it was his classical training

at The French Laundry in California’s

Napa Valley that helped him to hone

in and strengthen his abilities.

Now at Alinea, his

imagination runs wild daily

for the benefit of the guests

who manage to score a

table. It’s not easy. But it’s a

seamless, ongoing fusion of

food and design that is worth

every dollar spent. ■

To learn more about the

incredible wealth of

restaurants in Chicago and

to plan your visit, go to

www.choosechicago.com.

Chicago – Inspiration by Restaurants continued

Also, be inspired by beautiful Chicago videos by Choose Chicago:

Chicago Dining

Chicago Nightlife

To find out more about thesegreat restaurants:Girl & the Goat www.girlandthegoat.com

Sixteen www.sixteenchicago.com

Alineawww.alinearestaurant.com

Photos: Lara Kastner/Alinea

Alinea


Be Inspired byChicago

• Do a benchmarking tour or go shopping atinnovative Chicago home and housewares retailers.

• Enjoy live music at a blues or jazz club.

• Experience a Chicago sporting event.

• Explore top-choice museums.

• See world-renowned architecture andspectacular attractions.

• Visit some of the exciting neighborhoods...all full of life and character.

• Have an excellent dinner… Chicago is one of

the world’s culinary epicenters offering endless options

from inspirational fine dining and the best steaks to

traditional American and Italian favorites to Mexican

and Nuevo Latin cuisines.

To plan your visit to Chicago and for information on Chicagohome and housewares retailers, see the Experience

Design + Inspiration in Chicago brochure and the Chicago

Retail brochure at www.housewares.org/attend/nonUS.aspx

and visit www.choosechicago.com

2,100 exhibitorsfrom 6 continents

find innovative new products

and the inspiration, ideas and

tools to grow your business

march 7 - 10

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home and housewares inspiration magazine issue 14We warmly congratulate the gia national winners, and take a ... you can’t be the kind of a person who lets your feathers be rufﬂed